This past Sunday may have marked the last game day in which our Houston Texans included Arian Foster in the lineup. The already injury-riddled running back suffered a devastating blow during the match-up against the Miami Dolphins: with just over 4 minutes left in the game, he slipped and fell, tearing his right Achilles tendon.

Although he’s just 30 years old, people fear this Achilles injury could mean the end of his career: he’s already undergone back surgery, groin surgery and also had problems with his hamstrings.

While all of those were bad enough, for a running back, an Achilles injury is fairly devastating: the tendon supports all the movements an RB must make during play: sudden stops, starts and quick changes in direction.

I have seen athletes come back from Achilles injuries in my Houston podiatry practice, but I always stress early intervention with pain in this area of the body to avoid tears and ruptures. The rehab period for a torn Achilles tendon is long and painful; while coming back from tendinitis can be accomplished with less invasive procedures and shorter periods of down time.

It is never a good idea to ignore foot pain, but this is especially true when it comes to the Achilles tendon. Don’t risk your long-term health: if you are experiencing signs of Achilles tendinitis (pain in the back of your foot and ankle), schedule an immediate appointment with Dr. Andrew Schneider.